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The Enchantment Emporium (Gale Women #1)
by
Tanya Huff
The bestselling author of the Blood Books delivers a masterful new urban fantasy.
Alysha Gale is a member of a family capable of changing the world with the charms they cast. Then she receives word that she's inherited her grandmother's junk shop in Calgary, only to discover upon arriving that she'll be serving the fey community. And when Alysha learns just how much troubl...more
Alysha Gale is a member of a family capable of changing the world with the charms they cast. Then she receives word that she's inherited her grandmother's junk shop in Calgary, only to discover upon arriving that she'll be serving the fey community. And when Alysha learns just how much troubl...more
Hardcover, 361 pages
Published
June 2nd 2009
by Daw Books
(first published January 1st 2009)
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Estara Swanberg
rated it
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review of another edition
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review of another edition
Recommends it for:
fans of urban fantasy a la Emma Bull or Charles de Lint
Recommended to Estara by:
dawbooks.livejournal.com
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
"For pity's sake boy," Auntie Jane snorted as Dimitri shuffled carefully into the kitchen, there's salve for that . Use it before these trousers rub you raw. Downstairs bathroom. And you lot," she snapped at the girls who gathered round the table as he left the room, "stop giggling. He didn't get in that condition all on his lonesome."
Allie pulled a platter of pancakes out of the oven were they'd been keeping warm. "He needs to learn to pace himself."
...more
Allie pulled a platter of pancakes out of the oven were they'd been keeping warm. "He needs to learn to pace himself."
...more
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This is one of the best urban fantasy books I've read in a while. With a slightly stronger ending this would have been a five-star book for me; it really hit my sweet spot. It's funny and light-hearted but not shallow at all. The magic system felt fresh and different, and it's not hard to enjoy this idea of women becoming more powerful as they age. I hope this is the beginning of a new series.
There's a big, loving, powerful, nosy, overprotective and very appealing family. There's a l...more
There's a big, loving, powerful, nosy, overprotective and very appealing family. There's a l...more
It was great! A slow and somewhat confusing start resolved itself into a protagonist I couldn't help but love and an amazing magical system. If the beginning needed a little work, the ending more than made up for it. I love Allie and her motley selection of friends and family as well as her actual Family. There wasn't a character that wasn't perfectly written. Definitely think everyone should read. Exactly what Urban Fantasy should be and there must be more! (Or I will cry.)
All’inizio risulta un pò disorientante per due motivi. Uno è scritto in terza persona -e solitamente i libri che leggo sono sempre in prima-. La/il protagonista parla di se stesso e di quello che fa, quindi risulta facile al lettore immedesimarsi ed entrare nel personaggio. Qui invece, all’inizio, i personaggi restano distaccati dal lettore rendendo difficile capire di chi stà parlando in quel momento l’autore. Ingranate le prime pagine e questa impostazione, però, tutto scorre liscio come l’oli...more
I remember walking into Bakka books one night looking for a good book to read. A cute blonde handed me Riddle of the Wren by Charles deLint. You'll like it she said. She was right.
I didn't know she was a writer herself. I didn't know her last name, and didn't connect the Tanya Huff whose books started showing up in our local bookstore with the Tanya who worked at Bakka, and who I saw at conventions. Sometimes you have to hit me with a baseball bat to get my attention :)
I've h...more
I didn't know she was a writer herself. I didn't know her last name, and didn't connect the Tanya Huff whose books started showing up in our local bookstore with the Tanya who worked at Bakka, and who I saw at conventions. Sometimes you have to hit me with a baseball bat to get my attention :)
I've h...more
While I did enjoy it, I am somewhat let down by this book. There were some aspects of it I really, really liked, but other things bothered me a lot. What I liked was the overall quirkiness of the story, the eccentric and likeable characters, and the fact that there is much less violence than there usually is in what is categorized as Urban Fantasy. Only one characters dies, a very evil one, and even the description of his death is not graphic. The same goes for sex, and there is a lot of it i...more
I picked this book up at the library because it looked at least vaguely interesting, and ended up getting it out because it was set in Canada. Urban fantasy, set explicitly in Canada? (The city of Calgary, mostly, in fact.) Almost guaranteed for me to read it, then!
I've not read any of Tanya Huff's other books, but I'm now going to be searching them out because of this one. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. The story moved along at a pleasantly steady clip, the characters were wonderful...more
I've not read any of Tanya Huff's other books, but I'm now going to be searching them out because of this one. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. The story moved along at a pleasantly steady clip, the characters were wonderful...more
I want to be clear that this review is based on the audiobook of this novel. This is an important distinction because I suspect I would have liked the book. The Gales are different. Powerful. And mostly women. When Gale girls have babies, they become Aunties. When Gale boys become adults, they have to choose. If this sounds confusing, it was made even more so by ambiguous names and a reader who didn't have enough vocal variation to create effectively male or female characters. Take Charley. A gi...more
First, let me start by saying I read this because Robin McKinley liked it on her blog: http://robinmckinleysblog.com/2010/11/06/it-can%E2%80%99t-be-friday/. You should read her recommendation of it.
This was a fun read. The magic is funny, the romantic complications believable, and the Aunties are a hoot. The sex is non-traditional (not necessarily het, definitely not limited to monogamous), and is an important part of the magic system and the plot.
The first chapter was con...more
This was a fun read. The magic is funny, the romantic complications believable, and the Aunties are a hoot. The sex is non-traditional (not necessarily het, definitely not limited to monogamous), and is an important part of the magic system and the plot.
The first chapter was con...more
Tanya Huff's writing style is very fast paced. This makes the beginning confusing the middle somewhat confusing and the end almost over before you're ready. However, I love her stories and her main characters are always women who kick butt.
I'm still not sure how well I liked this book, though I did read it in two days (I was on vacation). I liked some of her characters, but there are a lot and I mean, probably too many in this one novel for any of them to be really deep. Besides All...more
I'm still not sure how well I liked this book, though I did read it in two days (I was on vacation). I liked some of her characters, but there are a lot and I mean, probably too many in this one novel for any of them to be really deep. Besides All...more
The Enchantment Emporium, sort of a cross between The Godfather and the TV show Charmed, is the story of a young Canadian witch from a family of witches who enters a new territory and finds herself in the midst of a gangland war involving other members of the magical world. Fortunately for Allie, our young heroine, she's got the family behind her. In this case, family protection means the dreaded aunties, cackling old cronies who nimbly cross the lines between Oz's Wicked Witch of the West and...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This is a more 'adult' (in terms of relationships/complexity) version of the Keeper Chronicles and not quite as funny. I did enjoy it and think it's a a solid 3.5 star book. Having said that, this book has issues.
Either Ms. Huff had a new editor or a very indulgent one because the beginning is an impressive minefield of wtfery. Yes, info dumps are brain numbing, but so is being thrown into the middle of an icy lake with just string bikini and a smile. This story would have benefited fr...more
Either Ms. Huff had a new editor or a very indulgent one because the beginning is an impressive minefield of wtfery. Yes, info dumps are brain numbing, but so is being thrown into the middle of an icy lake with just string bikini and a smile. This story would have benefited fr...more
*sigh* I picked this novel off the New Fiction shelf of the library, after not reading a word for two whole weeks. Crazy, I know. The librarians were getting ready to send a relief party out after me. Anyhoo. I've learned to be VERY wary of female-penned "urban fantasies," as they tend to be heavier on the romantical pining and orgies than the urban or fantasy. But EE piqued my interest for several reasons: 1) Witches with nary a vamp or were to be seen, 2) Said witches don't have...more
1. I really don't like the language. Unfortunately it's true for today, but still used needlessly.
2. The story can't seem to make up its mind as to whether it's a story of two people finding each other or a story of saving the world. Of the two only one has a slightly satisfying ending.
3. There is a lot of sex in the book. Fortunately, it's implied rather than described in detail. Unfortunately, most of it is between cousins, which is not unheard of, but in most societies...more
2. The story can't seem to make up its mind as to whether it's a story of two people finding each other or a story of saving the world. Of the two only one has a slightly satisfying ending.
3. There is a lot of sex in the book. Fortunately, it's implied rather than described in detail. Unfortunately, most of it is between cousins, which is not unheard of, but in most societies...more
Avrelia
rated it
Shelves:
fancy-fantasy,
from-the-library,
canadian,
fantasy,
fantasy-in-cities,
girly-stories,
sff,
romance
I loved this book, and what I liked the most was the same I liked in all Huff's books I read: cool and likable characters, snappy dialogue, vivid imagery and sharp details. Details make me relate to the world Huff's characters live in and feel quite at home - whether it was mentions of some Canadian realities, brands or problems, or pop culture ones (like Joss Whedon and World of Warcraft).
So, what is about? A young woman that inherits a junk shop in Calgary from her grandmother, her...more
So, what is about? A young woman that inherits a junk shop in Calgary from her grandmother, her...more
I hate that these books keep disappointing me. I felt like this book was one big inside joke. First of all, the horn manifestations and copious references to sex=magic powers goes back to the pagan beliefs about the Green Man and May Day celebration and whatnot. However, if I wasn't a big brainiac and knew about that stuff already, I'd be super confused. So, perhaps I just don't have enough trivial knowledge, but so much of this book acknowledges these Gales and it really just doesn't make sense...more
I just finished Enchantment Emporium today, and I'm torn on a couple of levels.
This is the first time I've read Tanya Huff, and there was much that I enjoyed about it. Allie inherits the Enchantment Emporium from her grandmother when her grandmother disappears and is presumed dead. Dragons, leprechauns, assassins, tabloid reports, and sorcerers pop out of the woodwork as a supernatural war breaks out. Allie, from an extended family of female witches, takes charge and tries to disc...more
This is the first time I've read Tanya Huff, and there was much that I enjoyed about it. Allie inherits the Enchantment Emporium from her grandmother when her grandmother disappears and is presumed dead. Dragons, leprechauns, assassins, tabloid reports, and sorcerers pop out of the woodwork as a supernatural war breaks out. Allie, from an extended family of female witches, takes charge and tries to disc...more
This was a fun romp, and definitely one of Huff's more frivolous pastries. The story is lightly set in Calgary, and we get to visit Banff along with some of the parks and interesting buildings around town. More importantly, Huff uses that wide open feeling to work the much older magic of what happens when someone smothered by too much family gets a chance to get away and claim some space of her own with the family she chooses to keep. The dragons aren't so typical as to be ho-hum, and the run...more
I was very confused on this book at first. Things seemed very random. When this happens I will give a book until page 50, if it is still like that give up. Luckily things started to make sense and I really liked the book in the end. But this does seem like one book where if you re-read it right again things will click faster.
I really liked Allie and her crazy family. They seemed like a fun group to be around. There was so much going on within how the family works it was hard to...more
I really liked Allie and her crazy family. They seemed like a fun group to be around. There was so much going on within how the family works it was hard to...more
This wackily-written UF is nothing like Ms. Huff's other, more well-known works! I must admit that I had a bit of trouble following along at first because explanations would be too easy, right? Dialogue oddities also prevailed. But the characters were wonderful, the plot just thick enough, that I thoroughly enjoyed it. It has been quite a while since I've read a stand-alone book (!!!) and I appreciated that.
The concept is about a family of witches, mostly women, who get more powe...more
The concept is about a family of witches, mostly women, who get more powe...more
The Enchantment Emporium is a good about a young witch with a large overbearing family that inherits a junk shop away from home from her grandmother. Within the first week settling into her new home she encounters a leprechaun, sorcerer and dragon lords and manages to fall in love. The story is entertaining due to the love interest and the power struggle with the dragon lords and sorcerer, but there were turn offs for me as well. Sex between cousins is not only accepted but encouraged within t...more
Alright, well, I've been trying to figure out what to write about this book every since I finished it last night. The reason it's so hard? For all that it's urban fantasy, it was really really good but at the same time had some big lacking mistakes!
Let me see if I can detail it down a bit more:
The characters were very vivid. The book starts out thrust into the life of the Gale family (with out much ado, or explanation) and their interactions read like a fast-moving sitcom. I...more
Let me see if I can detail it down a bit more:
The characters were very vivid. The book starts out thrust into the life of the Gale family (with out much ado, or explanation) and their interactions read like a fast-moving sitcom. I...more
I have never read any of Huff's novels but I have to say that this book kept me intrigued. It is about a family who has magical powers. Allie gets called to Calgary to take over her grandmother's shop. While there, Allie gets mixed up with leprechauns, sorcerers and dragons. I found that I was pulled right into this magical world and always wanted to know what came next. The characters in this book are amazing. Throughout the novel Allie has a coming of age journey and really grows into a young ...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I can't help but wonder whether this book would have been published at all, were it not riding on Tanya Huff's well-known name and a wad of guaranteed sales. It's hard to imagine a mainstream publisher picking up an untried writer with a book like this, full of in-jokes about magic and mythology, a magical system linked with blatant sexuality, and some very *different* cultural and moral standards than the ones most of us live by... set in modern-day Calgary. (I'm being deliberately vague here.....more
This book started out as really confusing, kind of a variant of an "in medias res" beginning, and by the end there were still some very unclear things. It's as though she intended there to be a sequel, but the sequel I've read is coming isn't about the same main character/protagonist. Anyway, so despite all this, "The Enchantment Emporium" was immensely entertaining and the most "other" urban fantasy book I've ever read. The strange sexual morés within the Gail fami...more
I'm in two minds about this book. It is well written, has a really cool story, remarkable characters and over all it is a fun read. Add some really cool dragons in the mix and you should think this book is a hit.
So why will this book not end up on my list of favourites?
It has to do with the Gale family: On the one hand they're one crazy, interesting bunch, on the other hand.... They were too close in my opinion. And when I mean close, I mean close in an icky way. Their in...more
So why will this book not end up on my list of favourites?
It has to do with the Gale family: On the one hand they're one crazy, interesting bunch, on the other hand.... They were too close in my opinion. And when I mean close, I mean close in an icky way. Their in...more
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